How to Achieve Your 2020 Content Marketing Goals + Recommended Resources Help You Get There

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Blessings on your Holidays and wishing you vibrant good health, chuckles of happiness and easeful prosperity in the New Year.

Setting yourself up to achieve your 2020 goals sounds simple… and it is!

But, doing what you want to do does require taking some simple action steps. And, you have to take them! ???? Some essential elements of embracing your goals are illuminated in this week’s Video Mojo:

This Weeks Power Briefing, How to Achieve Your 2020 Content Marketing Goals + Recommended Resources

In the world of content marketing, there are also strategic steps that you can take to get where you want to go. One of those steps, finding my “content tilt,” is at the top of my list of 2020 goals. I’m learning a lot from the book, “Content Inc.” as you will see.

The resources that are offered in this video (links below) can also help point you and your online presence in a more productive direction as well.

I am wishing you all the Happiest and Healthiest New Year Ever!

Here are the RESOURCE LINKS mentioned in this week’s video:
​
​Content Marketing Institute
​https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/​

Joe Pullizzi’s book, “Content Inc.”
​https://www.joepulizzi.com/books/content-inc/

Bullet Journaling
​https://bulletjournal.com/​

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

How to Achieve Your 2020 Content Marketing Goals + Recommended Resources Help You Get There

Hi and welcome to another episode of Video Mojo. My name is Jon Leland and I’m your guide on this exploration of both timeless marketing communication principles and up-to-the-minute resources, tools, tips, and that kind of thing. 

Today we are taking on goal setting and how to achieve your goals for 2020 and the year to come.

Recommended Resource: Joe Pullizzi’s book, “Content Inc.”

I want to start with a couple of resources. One is Joe Pullizzi and the Content Marketing Institute and, in particular, his book Content Inc. It’s a classic. It’s been around for a couple of years. I’ve been following Joe and his “partner-in-crime,” Robert Rose, on their podcast called This Old Marketing. And that is also a recommended resource. They are two of the most intelligent, resourceful, strategic people in the whole world of content marketing. Joe’s book, Content Inc. is particularly powerful because of its model and its model has inspired one of my goals for 2020. I’ll get into that in a minute. 

A Fundamental Action Step: Write Down Your Goals on Paper

The first tip, in his book which is about content marketing and a strategy… he has a whole methodology for it. Pulizzi starts out talking about goals. I really appreciated the down-to-earth practicality of it and he says two things that I think are crucial for anyone to achieve their goals next year or whenever.  

The first one is very basic but very few people do it: Write Your Goals Down. It’s really important to write them down. I will also share another resource which is called Bullet Journaling. Not everybody knows about Bullet Journaling. This is my bullet journal and pen right here. It’s something that I’ve used extensively. 

The tactile experience of writing to-do lists, of writing a goal, of writing a plan has really had a profound effect. It’s been really good for me to get away from the screen, and to be present to that. 

And that is one of the, everybody agrees, main thing with goals. I know a lot of people are afraid to set goals. I’ve personally experienced the vulnerability of “God, if I write this down and I set this goal, what happens if I don’t achieve it?” The worst thing that can happen is you had a vision and a goal and you didn’t achieve it. It’s not the end of the world and we could do a whole podcast about failures and how everybody, including the most successful people in the world, has had their share of failures. So it’s really not a horrible outcome but we all have our fears. 

Some people resist goals, they’re afraid to write goals. Don’t be afraid and write them down. 

Fundamental Action Step #2: Look at Your Goals Daily 

The second thing that Joe points out, which I think is even more challenging, is to look at those goals every day. So I’m reinforcing that and also offering the resource. 

Then in my own spirit of vulnerability, in the adventure, I want to share that the second part of Joe’s strategy about content marketing really hooked me in. He talks about how important it is to have a “sweet spot” that overlaps your passion and your skill set. Then, the second phase of the content in Content Marketing Model is called “Content Tilt” and that is where you get your unique voice. 

You’ve picked a niche, you’ve found where the overlap is between your passion and your skill set. But then, what’s unique about you and your voice? And that’s something that I’ve really been exploring for myself and that’s one of my goals for 2020. I’ve made progress on this. 

A friend of mine helped me see just this morning that a lot of what I do is Timeless Marketing Communications Wisdom. For decades I’ve been doing marketing communications, in video before digital media. And the principles that apply in terms of relationship building, authenticity, having a real message, that’s the kind of thing that I’m very committed to. 

I also am – a friend of mine calls me – the “Google of Marketing Technology.” I test out, experiment with, play with, all kinds of marketing tools from software, to digital strategies, to social media, to, as I hope you know by now, online video in particular. 

So next week I’ll get into some online marketing technologies but that’s my second goal—to really do more. This year has been a big breakthrough for me because I’ve started this video blog. Next year I want to really bring these tools to bear with more consistent video communications for all of my friends, relationships and in particular clients and prospective clients. 

Bonus Fundamental Tip #3: Share Your Goals

So what are your goals for 2020? A third technique that I can recommend, call this the “bonus,” but this is where some real juice can come into it, is to share your goals. You can share it with another person. I certainly recommend you choose one of the people who you find really supportive in your life because your goals can get trampled upon by somebody who’s a “Doubting Thomas,” as they say. 

So another way to do that would be to share it with us. You can put it in the comments on the podcast, the comments on the YouTube video, or the comments on any social media where I post these video blog posts and podcasts. I’d love to hear from you; but there’s something in it for you, if you share your goals publicly and with other people. Again, be careful and if you don’t feel that’s appropriate no problem. 

But if you’d like to share your goals for 2020 I would love to hear them and see what I could do to support them. I’m always so grateful for your time and attention and I really look forward to your comments suggestions and feedback.

Thanks again for being here. Happy Holidays! And I’ll see you next week!

3 Reasons Why a Website Is NOT a “Web Presence” & What It Takes to Be EFFECTIVE with Digital Marketing

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Fact: Websites are totally over-rated as marketing tools. 

Websites aren’t even an “online presence” anymore. If you’re living in the past and think all you need is a website in order to be “present” online, then this video is for you:

This Weeks Power Briefing, 3 Reasons Why A Website Is No Longer An “Online Presence”

Online marketing or digital marketing is constantly changing, especially if you are interested in (or committed to) making authentic, meaningful connections with your prospects, customers, clients, or community.

The video above summarizes three key reasons why a website alone is no longer an effective strategy for online marketing. It also offers a fresh approach that can help you build more meaningful connections online. Enjoy!

Resource Link, an earlier Video Blog Post that was mentioned:
“Why SEO is so YESTERDAY for Online Marketing.”

If you are so inclined, please share, comment and all that good stuff. It really helps!

Happy Thanksgiving, one and all (US & otherwise).

NOTE: By this time next week, in addition to being on my ComBridges blog, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, this video blog will also become a podcast. And it will be known as Video Mojo! It’s already on Spotify here. Whoo-hooo! ☺️

VIDEO Transcript:

3 Reasons Why a Website Is No Longer an “Online Presence”

Hi there, my name is Jon Leland and this is Video Mojo, where we talk about making meaningful marketing connections for a better you, a better me and a better world. 

Today’s subject is “3 Reasons Why a Website is No Longer a Web Presence.”

Reason #1: Marketing Is About Relationships

When people think about being present on the web and doing any kind of marketing online, the first thing they want to do is create a website; and then maybe they think about search engine optimization or SEO. That’s another video I did earlier about “Why SEO is so Yesterday.” 

It’s even more fundamental than that. A website is not a web presence because number one, marketing is about relationships. And that’s a theme here on Video Mojo, we’re always talking about how we build better relationships and make better connections for meaningful marketing. So, if you want to make better marketing and you have to make better relationships. And, at the end of the day, a website is just a brochure. 

So, the number one reason that a website is not a web presence is because it really doesn’t create relationships. There may be a need for you to have an online brochure. That’s perfectly valid. But if you want to reach out and you want to create new relationships, then a website is not sufficient at all. 

Reason #2: Relationships Require Multiple Touches

The second reason is that if you want to build relationships it requires time. It requires multiple touches and that doesn’t happen on a website. 

People visit your website and they’re there and gone very quickly. If you want to have multiple touches and create a conversation—which is what it takes to have a meaningful relationship—then you have to be consistent. You have to be putting out what we call in marketing “multiple touches.” So, that happens via email, that happens via social media, that’s where the real interactivity or engagement happens. 

It happens on social media. It happens on email because you’re reaching people where they spend time every day. They don’t spend time on your website or looking for your website, but they do spend time scrolling through Facebook or Instagram. They do spend time in their email inbox… God knows. 

So, those are the places where you need to show up on a consistent basis. 

Reason #3: You Must Be Consistently Valuable

The third reason that a website is not an online presence is that it takes that kind of consistent value, being consistently valuable in order to build a relationship. So, you have to offer things on an ongoing basis. I am an advocate of a weekly minimum frequency, just like we’re doing here on Video Mojo. I’m doing my darndest to create a weekly video blog post and podcast in order to be consistently valuable. 

I’m walking my talk in that regard, and I think that’s what it takes to build a new kind of engagement with a conversation. 

So, just having a website is not sufficient if you want to create engagement, if you want to create meaningful connections. 

A Website is Not a Web Presence!

Being consistently valuable online via social media and email, that’s where you can create a conversation. That’s where you can have multiple touches, and that’s how you create a meaningful connection. 

Thank you so much for watching. I’m really grateful for your kind attention.

Happy Thanksgiving if you’re watching in that kind of timeframe and Happy Holidays. I look forward to seeing you next week!

With Video Marketing, It’s Not “How to Distribute?” It’s “How ELSE to Distribute?”

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Greetings and Happy Almost Thanksgiving.

I’m grateful for you. No joke.

This week, I’m excited to share a video about the power of getting your message OUT. We all want more people to see, hear and appreciate what we offer, right?

If you do, please remember that producing your marketing videos (and great content in general) is JUST A START!

A very common mistake is to think that once you’ve posted whatever you’ve created on YouTube or Facebook, then you’re done. Not true!

Getting creative with distribution—or what Jay Baer calls the “amplification layer”—across multiple social media networks, in a variety of forms helps to leverage the power of what you’ve produced and gives your content much greater reach and impact.

That’s why I’m exploring new kinds of distribution, from “videos as podcasts” to IGTV (Instagram TV). This video explains why:

Video blog post: With Video Marketing, It’s Not “How to Distribute?” It’s “How ELSE to Distribute?”

This video blog post is designed to help you get more out of your marketing videos, blog posts, or other kinds of content. It offers both encouragement and video marketing tips.

​This video blog post is designed to help you get more out of your marketing videos, blog posts, and/or all of the other kinds of content that you create.

It offers both encouragement and video marketing tips. Please let me know what you think.

LINKS

And, if you want to get yourself or your company/organization on an empowering fast-track to creating and distributing social video posts successfully, please check out our Video Launch Pad.

And here’s the link to the Jay Baer video blog post on “Content is Fire. Social Media is Gasoline” that’s referenced in the video above.

Edited Transcript:

With Video Marketing, It’s Not “How to Distribute?” It’s “How ELSE to Distribute?”

Hi and welcome. My name is Jon Leland and I’m a Video Explorer who loves exploring all the different ways that video can be used online to create meaningful connections. 

“Great Content Creates Audience”

One of my favorite subjects on the topic of today’s video is when you’re doing video marketing, the question is not “how to distribute” the question is “how else to distribute”, and this is near and dear to my heart because it’s part of the fun that I have. Part of the reason why I call myself a Video Explorer, is that I’m exploring all the ways that video can create meaningful connections and that involves so many different forms. 

It’s almost like video has a different language. On Instagram TV, certainly, it does in a new platform like TikTok and obviously YouTube is different, LinkedIn is different. So when we create content, which is the fuel of content marketing that’s what happens. Jay Baer, a famous author famously has said that “content is fire, social media is the gasoline.” So there’s this amplification layer as he calls it. I will link to a video of him talking about this in the show notes of this video blog post. 

When you create content, you have to think about how best to leverage it

When you’re creating content, you have to amplify it, you have to distribute it. So that’s part of what I’ve been exploring is all the different ways to take these video blog posts and not just put them on YouTube, but for example not just put them on LinkedIn either. 

LinkedIn is really important, I do business with other businesses called b2b marketing so LinkedIn is a primary distribution method for me. Do I just post a link to the YouTube video on LinkedIn? No, I upload the video directly to LinkedIn; it’s called a native video on LinkedIn, so that it appears within the feed as moving video with the lower-third subtitles. Do I stop there? No. I create LinkedIn articles so that the video also appears within a LinkedIn article and that gets more distribution and more visibility. 

So one of the things that’s come up recently is we’ve rolled out a whole system that we help other people also to distribute their videos across multiple platforms, is this relationship between podcasting and video blogs. 

You may or may not know that there are a lot of people who actually treat YouTube as a radio and they listen to podcasts on YouTube. We’re now moving towards using these video blog posts in order to create a podcast and short form podcasts are a thing now so you’ll soon see this video blog as a podcast. 

Do It Yourself or Get Help?

That’s something that I’m excited about and that’s another example of this really important principle, which is not how to distribute but how else to distribute. It’s a very common error that businesses make when they start up, they want to create the content, but they don’t think about marketing the content. Or they want to create a product, but they don’t think about how are they going to market the product, what’s the right budget, what are the right avenues, how do you do that. Same thing with content marketing and video marketing. 

It’s not just about creating the content, it’s about distributing it, building that audience, building that community, and ultimately building meaningful relationships and connections. So that’s today’s video blog post. 

If you want to know more about how we help companies and people to do video marketing and to distribute social media and video blog posts, please check out combridges.com or go to go go.combridges.com/video-launch-pad. Our video launch pad offer is specifically where we help people to distribute video across multiple platforms and to get started in the whole game of video marketing. 

Thanks again so much for watching. I really appreciate it and look forward to your comments and suggestions. See you next week!

3 Ways Video Can Build Trust & Meaningful Digital Connections

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Trust matters!

In today’s online, social media environment, trust matters more than ever before. Here’s why.

Everyone wants to filter out the BS, the hype, the sales pitches, and the get rich quick schemes. How do you do that? While browsing, you gather “data”—usually very quickly—in order to figure out whether or not you can trust someone. You want to know if they are really going to be of service and whether or not they actually care about offering something (whether service or product) that will truly be valuable to YOU.

This Weeks Power Briefing, 3 Ways Video Can Build Trust & Meaningful Digital Connections

In other words, trust is the “currency” of online/digital engagement. It matters enormously and it is extremely valuable. That’s why I think video is so important as a primary component of your online and social media presence. Nothing builds trust like video. Period.

So, if you are marketing in any way via social media or a website, building trust is crucial. In order to help with that, I made this video to illuminate three ways that you can use video to build trust and meaningful digital connections.

I hope it helps you to market with authenticity and to build meaningful, human relationship via digital media. Or, to be more specific, I’d love to help you build more valuable relationships via online video.

New Service Offer:

​The Video Launch Pad ​
​This is a new service where I help you to learn about how to do video effectively while we create three videos together, and then our ComBridges Digital Engagement Team also helps you distribute your videos on YouTube and the major social media networks. We are trying to make the whole process as easy and powerful as possible for you. Please click here to learn more.

Edited Transcript:

3 Ways Video Can Build Trust & Meaningful Digital Connections

Hi there and welcome. My name is Jon Leland and I’m a Video Marketing Explorer. I really like to get involved with what’s going on with video and how video can enhance our human connections. 

Yes, I play a Digital Marketing Strategist by day but really, what I’m here doing is playing,  experimenting and exploring the dimensions of online video that matter. 

The ones that matter have to do with human connection and build trust. So, that’s why this video is about 3 Ways to Build Trust in Digital Video & online communications. 

Make Marketing Communications More Human

One of them is the most important and that’s making marketing communications (or just communications in general), more human. We do that with this kind of virtual eye contact. Once you make virtual eye contact, someone can experience who you are and what it is you have to offer in a way that print or even photographs can’t do. And because we’re dealing with filtering out the hucksters and the salespeople and the profit-oriented whatever’s, we want to make connection, and we want to give real value. 

Making a “human presence” is number one in terms of building trust.  

Be Consistent

Number two is being consistent, showing up regularly, and I think weekly is probably a minimum requirement. That’s what I’ve been really striving for with these video blog posts, because when you show up consistently, you build trust by being present, by people knowing that they can count on you. 

Cultivate Connection

The third way is really cultivating connection. So, showing up consistently, being human, and authentic are making a real connection. That enables you to build a real community, tribe, client base, or whatever your goal is. That is something I know that shifts the equilibrium of the world – when we make real human connections, cultivate community, especially in ways where we can relate to each other as we do on video… Then something changes. 

That’s what I’m about and that’s why I’m doing all this. I want a better world with more human connections, with real communities, and people who support each other. 

So there’s the three reasons how online video can cultivate trust, and I hope you will consider them as you decide to do your own outreach.

I’m going to follow up next week with more information. I’m going to The Patreon headquarters in San Francisco this weekend. They’re having a gathering about building community online. For those of you who may not know Patreon, Patreon is a crowdfunding way to do subscription support of your content. And I’ll be reporting back on that kind of video community building next week. 

So thanks again for watching. I really appreciate you being here and I’ll see you next week!

The Power of a Creative Practice: Video Blogging Inspiration & Mini-Book Review

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For me, Video Blogging is more about the power of a “creative practice,” rather than a profit-driven marketing strategy.

Yes, “by day,” I am a marketing strategist, but more importantly, I’m also an explorer and adventurer who loves (OK, THRIVES!) by discovering new dimensions of the “online video spaces.” In other words, I like to play and expand my creative capacity via social media video in all forms.

Through this new practice, I’m also learning by doing and discovering new dimensions of who I am in the world. If that approach resonates with you at all, then this ​week’s video may be a joyful “kick in the pants.” I hope so!

This Week’s Power Briefing, The Power of A Creative Practice: Video Blogging Inspiration & Mini-Book Review

If you are a creator of any kind, you know the power of sticking to the structure of a creative practice. At Representative Elijah Cummings funeral, I heard his wife Maya say that he often said, “80% of life is just showing up.”

For me, before about 3 months ago, video blogging was a dream of mine, a healthy ambition. Now that I’m doing it and showing up (almost) weekly, my life has changed! This video shares about that process in a way that I hope is inspiring to you.

Are you ready to take action on your creative dreams and put yourself out there in a new way? If so, I’d love to hear more about that from you.

​This video also includes recommendations of two inspirational books that I have found useful (and my offer of support). Here are links to those for your convenience:

Edited Transcript:

The Power of a Creative Practice: Video Blogging Inspiration & Mini-Book Review

Hi and welcome to another video blog post. My name is Jon Leland and I am a Digital Marketing Strategist. I’ve realized something in the process of being creative and that’s what this video blog post is about. It’s about the sheer power of a creative practice and I hope to provide inspiration for anybody in particular that wants to be creative and in particular wants to be creative with video blogging. I also have a mini book review (for you.)

Digital Marketing Strategy is Only My Day Job!

The first thing I want to do is correct myself. I said I’m a Digital Marketing Strategist and that is true, you could call it my day job. I play one here on YouTube, but I also am really more truly an adventurer, somebody who is exploring the digital space around being creative and using in particular video to be creative. Also, I explore communication channels, networking and the power of this thing called the creative practice. 

“Creative Calling” & The Power of Daily/Weekly Practice

The book that I want to recommend to you is called Creative Calling. I think I can even bring it up here on my iPad for you. So this is the cover. It’s by Chase Jarvis. The (sub)title is “Establish a Daily practice, infuse your world with meaning, and succeed and work + life.” 

Chase Jarvis is really quite a remarkable guy and his focus—and my focus in terms of doing these video blogs—is around the practice and the power of what happens when you keep showing up. So the reason that I said that I’m an explorer, an adventurer, even more than what I do for a living, is that that’s where “the juice” is for me. 

I’ve always loved the opportunities and this evolution of digital video. I’ve been talking about it, writing about it, and doing videos about it for many years. But it’s only as I’ve dug in and made it a weekly practice that I found this whole other kind of dimension of myself. And it comes from showing up and it comes from not necessarily knowing what the results are going to be, not necessarily knowing what’s going to happen, and in particular, being willing to move through regardless. 

The Crazy Presumption That We Should “Have It Right,” Be “Perfect,” or Even Know What We Should Say 

Another book I recommend is by Steven Pressfield, who talks about Resistance in the book called The War of Art. (This is) another amazing and important book for the creative professionals or people that want to play creatively.  

By showing up, by being here, by being willing to hear all the voices in my head, resist the “imposter syndrome,” and doing this video blog post anyway, I discover new dimensions of myself. I also get myself out there. There are lots of business benefits but that’s not why I’m doing it. 

I’m doing it because at heart I love learning all the time, I’m learning by doing and by experimenting.

The qualities that you don’t necessarily think about when you think about being online and doing a video blog are things like courage and humility. Because the “impostor syndrome” which is the “crazy uncle in my head” says “You’re not good enough,” “Do you really have anything worthwhile to say?” 

All of that kind of self doubt and self talk, I’m allowing that to be there but not listening to it!

Sharing A Journey of Discovery

I’m showing up, no matter what, to do something every week. That’s a lot of what Chase Jarvis talks about (in his book) and he’s had a lot of success from doing the work. It’s the same thing Steven Pressfield says in The War of Art: Do the work. The professional shows up. Seth Godin talks about the same thing. 

So, here I am showing up, doing the work and recognizing that there is a remarkable power in the creativity of just doing it. By doing these kind of video blog posts and inviting creatives like you (if you’re one of those) to connect with me, I hope to help you to be supported and be inspired. I’ve got all kinds of programs if you’re interested and if would like to be on my email list here’s the URL: go.combridges.com/video-launch-pad. 

The Video Launch Pad is a new offer that I’m experimenting with; but again, I’m doing this to learn and to see what kind of feedback I get, and to put it out there and engage in this kind of creative process. 

So let me know what you think. I’d love to hear your comments and thank you so much for your kind attention. I really appreciate you watching and see you next week! 

Watch to Learn Why WEEKLY Vlogging Is My New SuperPower + Why You Might Want to Join Me.

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In just the last two months, video blogging or vlogging has changed my life and my business; and this breakthrough has led me to think of these weekly video posts as a new kind of “SuperPower.” 

As a digital marketing strategist, when I finally found the discipline to “eat my own cooking” and do videos every week, I knew it would be a positive step; but honestly, the results have exceeded these expectations. 

Check out this video, won’t you?

This Weeks Power Briefing, Watch to Learn Why WEEKLY Vlogging Is My New SUperPower + Why You Might Want to Join Me.

In this week’s video, I not only share how this practice is working for me, I unpack why any kind of regular blogging or vlogging is so powerful.

To make this point clear, I call on a quintessential video clip from Seth Godin and Tom Peters that I’ve used for years in my social media marketing workshops.

I also unveil the essence of a new video marketing offer that may help you get over the “hump” to do a weekly vlog yourself, including our system for social media video distribution. The truth is that it was separating the video production from the distribution that made this breakthrough possible!

Links and Videos for Resources Mentioned in this Week’s Edition:

Seth Godin & Tim Peters on Blogging

Thanks for watching! I look forward to your feedback.

Edited Video Transcript:

WEEKLY Vlogging Is My New SuperPower. Here’s Why You Might Want to Join Me.

Hi there, my name is Jon Leland and I’m a digital marketing strategist. And this is episode #8 of my video blog or Vlog Series about digital marketing and in particular about video marketing. I want to talk to you today about vlogging or video blogging and how dramatically it has changed my life and I think potentially even changed my business. 

The Power of Blogging

So, let me explain. First of all, blogging and vlogging are really, really valuable practices, and I’ve been wanting to do a weekly Vlog for years. And, finally, I have gotten myself over the hump and I have started doing it. Like I said, for eight weeks in a row now. And I want to share with you today about the ways that has changed my life and my business.

I’ve known from blogging the way that doing a regular practice, about getting my voice out there and how that changes things. Intuitively, I knew that vlogging was going to do that as well, but it really has done that and much more. 

I will post a video (link above) with Tom Peters and Seth Godin talking about blogging and they talk about how it really doesn’t even matter if anybody is reading it or in the case of a vlog if anybody is watching, 

“Blogging is free, it doesn’t matter if anyone reads it. What matters is the humility that comes from writing it. What matters is the metacognition of thinking about what you’re going to say. How do you explain yourself to the few employees or your cat or whoever is going to look at it? How do you force yourself to describe that in three paragraphs? Why you did something? How do you respond out loud?”  

Seth Godin

Because what happens is in the weekly practice of putting yourself out there, saying something that you intend to be useful and where you’re really trying to deliver some value doing that week after week really shifts something inside you. You’re able to go deeper, you’re able to discover more about what the value is that you want to share and that you want to communicate with other people. 

“I will simply say, my first post was in August of 2004. No single thing in the last 15 years professionally has been more important to my life than blogging.”

Tom Peters

So, your voice emerges and also your putting yourself out there with it. I know it’s going to sound very California, but as I experience it, there is an energy shift that happens by putting yourself out there in that way. 

Weekly Makes All the Difference

The other thing is the fact that I’m doing it weekly. This makes it a practice and gives it this ongoing continuity, such as when you want to learn to play golf or learn to play the piano, whatever. It’s a practice and going to the gym is another really good example. It takes time to build up “the muscle” and when you do it weekly, it has this power. I’ve talked in other videos about “The Power of Consistency”. 

So, when you do it weekly you build up that consistency and you begin to develop “the muscle” and just like going to the gym when you start doing it for awhile week after week, day after day it starts to feel good. 

And I’m proud to be telling you that I’ve made this commitment, I’m doing it every week and it’s  feeling good to me. It’s also getting me out there. I believe it’s making me more attractive and the last point that I want to make is the way it shifted my business. 

In the coming weeks, I’m going to be making an offer to help people get over the hump to do this. My offer will help them create their first three videos as part of a package and then take advantage of the distribution system that I’ve built and how I’m getting these videos out. 

Separating Production from Distribution Made This Possible

This reminds me of Derek Sivers, who founded CD Baby way back in the early days of the Internet. He invented CD Baby because he was a musician and he needed and wanted to sell CD’s. E-commerce hadn’t really been invented yet. He helped invent it and suddenly all these other musicians came to him and wanted help getting their CD’s out. 

Well, I needed video distribution because I wanted to do video blogs and I wanted to get it out. What helped me get over the hump was I separated the tasks for doing this out, separating video production from distribution. I now have a virtual assistant who’s helping me with the distribution.  In fact, we’ve designed a whole system where these videos are not only on YouTube, they are also native on Facebook, native on LinkedIn, native on Instagram TV and all have the subtitles and meta information… wherever you happen to be watching it. 

So video blogging really is a practice worth developing. I hope you can get over the hump and, if you’d like, I can help you do it,. 

However it works for you, and, let’s talk if you want help from me. Let me know because we have a system that can help you distribute and “watch this space” for the offer in coming weeks. 

As always, thanks again for your kind attention, I really appreciate it. See you next week!

3 Requirements for Marketing Success in The Connection Economy + Better Learning Through Acronyms

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Change is always challenging, and as you’ve probably noticed, the environment for digital marketing has changed dramatically. I think Seth Godin describes this well with his term: The Connection Economy.

But what does it take to be successful in The Connection Economy? In this short video blog post, I cover 3 key ingredients or “Requirements for Success” in today’s online environment: ???????? ????

This Weeks Power Briefing: 3 Requirements for Marketing Success in The Connection Economy + Better Learning Through Acronyms

As a digital marketing strategist, I love to help. And to help you learn, each of the 3 Requirements for Success explained in this video is illustrated with an easy-to-remember acronym. Here’s a quick summary for you:

MTRB = Multi-Touch Relationship Building

AV + C = T means Authentic Value + Consistency = Trust

BWTTS = Be Willing to Try Stuff

Thanks for watching! I look forward to your feedback.

EDITED VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

The 3 Requirements for Success in the Connection Economy with Better Learning Through Acronym Mania

Hi, my name is Jon Leland and I’m a digital marketing strategist and I’m here with another weekly digital marketing Power Briefing. This week I’m talking about three essential, requirements for success in the Connection Economy. I’m having a little fun with the three connection ingredients or requirements, I’m calling it, “Acronym Mania” because in order to make them more memorable, I’ve got an acronym for each one. 

MTRB = Multi-Touch Relationship Building

The first one is MTRB, MTRB stands for “Multi-Touch Relationship Building.” It’s kind of amazing to me how many people think about marketing in kind of a one-and-done way. Almost like the old days when you would print a brochure and think that your marketing had been done or people carry that forward into websites being produced or oh, I have a Facebook page now I’m doing social media. 

It is not at all like that. It’s multi touches – which can be email, can be Facebook ads, can be social media posts, YouTube videos. Whatever it is you’re doing, do more of it and make it multi-touches because people are not going to do business with you, people are not going to believe you, if you’re only doing one thing every once in a while. 

AV + C = T Authentic Value + Consistency = Trust

And that really leads us to the second acronym which is AV + C = T. So, this one is really near and dear to my heart because AV is “Authentic Value.” Authentic Value is important because if you’re not offering something that really illustrates what it is you have to offer – what you’re authentic true expertise is and why people would want to do business with because you really have something to offer you’re missing out. If so, you’re not really making a difference because you really need to demonstrate first and foremost that Authentic Value. 

Then the second, “C” is Consistency and this has been a big lesson for me. This is number seven of my weekly video series and I have to tell you the consistency of doing it every week, not only makes a difference to the audience and the viewer because you see me, I’m demonstrating multi touches where you see me on a very regular basis. 

This has shifted my own presence and my own kind of confidence. I have stuff to share that I do think is authentically valuable but the weekly consistency at a minimum makes a huge difference. 

And then the bottom line – the kind of the Holy Grail if you will – in the Connection Economy is Trust. So, if you offer Authentic Value on a consistent basis that equals trust and that trust really is a key ingredient of being successful in the Connection Economy.

BWTTS = Be Willing to Try Stuff Experimentation, Play, Creativity, Fun, Originality

Thirdly, and this is kind of the most fun one is BWTTS, and that stands for “Be Willing To Try Stuff.” 

One of my earlier weekly videos was about “Experimentation” and this is the same point again which is that you need to be willing to try stuff, you need to be willing to experiment, play, be creative, be original, but be original in your own way. 

I really like this saying, I think it’s a book title, “Be yourself because everybody else is taken.” And that you know applies to brands as well as to individuals. 

So, when you do a multi-touch approach and lead with authentic value on a consistent basis, you build trust and then when you do that in a playful experimental way and you, then you try things to find out what works, right? Some things do work, some things don’t work and that’s fine. That’s par for the course, you’ve got to be out there playing, be willing to try stuff. 

Those are three big key ingredients that I think may really make a difference if you’re interested in expanding your online visibility. 

As usual, thank you very much for watching. I really appreciate your attention and I look forward to hearing from you, any comments or feedback are more than welcome. Thanks again, see you next week!

Watch & Learn How Video Connection is the Future of Digital Marketing

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Making a personal, human connection via video is more than a trend. It’s a MEGA-trend.

Video is also the one essential marketing strategy that you can’t afford to skip. Here’s why:

I believe that authentic relationship-building is at the heart of meaningful marketing. Given that nothing you can do online builds relationship more powerfully than video, video has become absolutely essential. It’s not only the future of digital marketing, it’s digital marketing’s SUPER-POWER!

Please check out the video below to learn more…

This Weeks Power Briefing: Watch & Learn How Video Connection is the Future of DIgital Marketing

Resources Mentioned in this Video: 

  • The Book: Rehumanize Your Business: How Personal Videos Accelerate Sales and Improve Customer Experience: https://amzn.to/2MLKmcr

Thanks for watching!

EDITED VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

Hi, my name is Jon Leland and I’m a digital marketing strategist. I’m here this week to talk to you about why video connection is really the future of digital marketing. 

Connection & Putting People First

I know that that’s a big claim but if you are not creating video connection with the prospects and people that you’re engaging with online, I really think you’re not only missing the wave of the future, you’re missing the opportunity to make meaningful connections and build meaningful relationships that can support your business in the long term.

I was listening to an audio book this week with Seth Godin and he calls what’s going on with all the changes in the ways we communicate, the “connection economy.” And I think that really is apt because we are now making connections and that’s the currency. 

The currency is not just how good you are with the technology, for example or how much you hustle. It’s really the authentic connections that you make. That’s where the real value, that’s where the important stuff happens and the fuel for the connection economy is humanity. It’s your humanity, it’s my humanity, it’s our ability to relate and engage in a meaningful way. 

So, that reminds me to give you the big mega trend – and I can do it very quickly. When I started doing websites back at the beginning of the web in 1995, people were just doing text and then  the next generation was when people started adding images. And immediately I talked to people to tell them don’t use boring stock images that don’t have a face on them, they want to see your face, they want to know who they’re doing business with. 

Going Beyond the Explainer Video

So, I encouraged people to take photos and have their own picture up there. Well, now that video has become so integral to how we engage online, I think we need our faces just like this, on the website which means that your simple two-minute explainer video, all the popular whiteboard animations really are not doing what needs to happen. 

Which is showing who you are and engaging in a meaningful way. And then it really goes to the next level, I’ve been experimenting with an application called “Bomb Bomb” and I want to offer a resource. This is a book by the people that started that application, “Bomb Bomb”, which is a video strategy where you are creating videos inside emails and people are literally creating thousands and thousands of personalized one-on-one emails. And that’s a whole other subject that I’ll get into. 

Relationships Require Multiple Touches

But the bottom line is not only do you need human video to create real engagement, but relationships as I’ve been talking about in these weekly videos which happen through multiple touches. 

So, multiple touches mean you don’t just do that one explainer video. You just don’t do the kind of that one corporate “who we are” video. You really need to have a conversation and be present in a way that people engage with you and I believe that means a minimum of a once a week frequency. 

And I’ll be honest with you, that’s something that has challenged me for a long time. This is actually video number six for me and I’m now ongoing on a weekly basis because I want to walk my talk and I, more importantly, I want to really create the kind of meaningful engagement that I’m talking about. 

So, video connection is the future of online marketing of digital engagement, of digital marketing, all that good stuff. And I’m hoping that you’re doing it too.

I hope this is inspiring and useful, I look forward to your feedback. And as always, I thank you for your kind attention. I really do appreciate that you’re here and you watch and I thank you for that, see you next week!

Here’s Why Experimentation is An Essential Attitude for Successful Digital Marketing

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Please FORGET the old “one-and-done” approach to marketing. 

Today’s digital marketing requires EXPERIMENTATION. 

In this short video, I explain why experimentation is absolutely essential for online success. 

While experimentation can be scary for some people, there’s no other way to learn, no other way to get the value of marketplace feedback, and most importantly, there is no other way to build meaningful relationships online.

This weeks Power Briefing, Here’s Why Experimentation is An Essential Attitude for Successful Digital Marketing

It’s true in life and it’s especially true in marketing: You have to be willing to experiment, to try new things, to take risks, and yes, to make mistakes and “fail.”

It’s what I love about the online world: I am always learning, and I have the opportunity to keep trying (and sometimes succeeding) at creating new relationships. That can actually be fun in this crazy online world.

The video below is my latest effort in that regard. At the end of the day, a life (and a marketing plan) without experimentation would be BORING! ☺️

In my considered opinion, if you’re not experimenting, your chances of long term success are basically nonexistent. What do you think?

EDITED VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

Hi, my name is Jon Leland and I’m a digital marketing strategist and in this week’s digital marketing Power Briefing, I’m talking about why experimentation is absolutely essential for successful digital marketing. 

As I said before, digital marketing is not a get-rich-quick scheme. And in fact one of the really amazing things about being involved in online marketing and working a strategy when you do it, is that you get real-world feedback. And the only way that you get real-world feedback is to try things and to experiment. So, that’s why experimentation really is essential: it’s very, very powerful.

But the bad news is that it’s not a one-and-done environment just because you’ve got a website upgrade but that doesn’t mean that you have an online presence. 

It takes communications, consistently like this, that’s kind of why I’m doing weekly videos. I want to be here on a regular basis and I want to reach out and create a relationship. So digital marketing is not one and done. Your website doesn’t mean that you’re finished and even having done a Facebook live video doesn’t mean that you’ve done a video marketing campaign. 

The good news is that you get to explore and you get to experiment and you get to find out things. 

Now a lot of people find that kind of experimentation to be scary, there are all these payoffs like I’ve been talking about. What I find and one of the reasons that we’re now doing monthly retainers with clients is we want to get to know their message, we want to get to know their audience and getting to know, as it implies a relationship. It means that there’s a give-and-take, that you do things, you get feedback, you do things, you get feedback, you make mistakes, you correct them, you do things and learn. 

That’s why experimentation is crucial. It’s the only way you learn, it’s the only way that you can discover and have an adventure with it. And most importantly it’s really the only way that you can develop a relationship and see what works, see what connects and find out. 

So I’ll leave you with a quote, “success is not final, failure is not fatal it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill. 

So thank you so much for watching, I really appreciate your kind attention. I look forward to hearing from you and your feedback. I’ll see you again next week!